Cotton-picker.



LI H. CREIKI'VIOHEi COTTON FICKER.

APPLICATION FILED Aulas, I9I4.

Patente May 18,. 19%.

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COTTON PICKER.

l APPUCATION HLED AUG.3, i914. LQAQ, Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-shun To all wlwfm, it may concern LOUIS HERMAN CREEKMORE, OF BRISTOW, OKLAHOMR COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1215.,

Application ined August 3,1914. serial no. 354,786.

i the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton picking machines and has for its object to improve the construction of devices of this character to such an extent as to provide an extremely simple yet highly efficient machine which will readily perform the functions for which it is designed.

In carrying out the above end, the invention aims to provide a new and novel valve structure in connection with a suction tube having a picking nozzle and a discharge chute therefrom.

The invention also aims to provide a new and novel form of picking head whereby the cotton may be removed from the top and sides of the plants simultaneously.

Vith the above and minor objects in View, the invention resides in certainl novel features of construction arid combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton picker constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the entire device; Fig. 3 is an end View; Fig. Llis, a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the embodimentillustrated and in the accomlanyin'g drawings, a supporting platform is shown which is provided with suitable wheels W and with a tongue at 4its rear end whereby the running gear, thus formed, may be propelled forwardly.

Rising from the front end of the platform is an'inverted U-shaped frame 1 upon the cross bar 2 of which a tubulaielbow 3 is secured by means of a band 1 or other suitable ineans, the .lower end of the elbow 3 being flexibly connected, preferably by a leather joint 5, with a pipe' section 6 in which a second section 7 slides, the lower end of the pipe 7 being reduced in size as indicated at 8 whereby to provide a sucking nozzle adapted to remove cotton from the tops of the plants.r At the juncture of the reduced portion 8 with the body of the pipe 7, 'a pair of picking tubes 9 are provided whose lower ends are adapted to be positioned adjacent the sides of the cotton plants whereby, when suction is created within the tube 7, any cotton upon the tops yand sides of the plants will be drawn inwardly through the reduced portion 8 and the tubes 9.

For the purpose of retaining the pipe section 7 in any one of its adjusted positions, a pair of weights 10 are preferably provided which are secured to one end of cables or chains 11, the latter passing over sheaves or guides 12 at the upper corners of the frame 1 and being secured at their opposite ends to the section 7 as indicated at 13. By this means, the weight of the tube 7 and the parts carried thereby is practically bal-l anced. From the other end of the elbow 3, a suction tube 14 extends rearwardly, the intermediate portion of said tube being supported by an inverted V-shaped bracing' member 15 whose lower ends are secured to the forward upright side 17 of a cotton receiving hopper, a second upright. wall 18 extending transversely above the platform P and lying parallel to the wall 17 and two end walls 19 being also provided, the latter' being hinged to the walls 417 a d 18 by pairs of pins 20L projecting from At ie 'upper corners of said. walls 19 through the adjacent upper corners of said walls 17 and 1S, whereby they may be swung outwardly for the purpose of removing the cotton deposited in the bin or hopper.

As clearly seen in the various figures of the drawings, theextreme rear end of the suction tube l4comniunicates with the forwardly turned upper end 21 of a discharge chute 22 which is preferably though not necessarily rectangular inv horizontal section. The lower ends of the side walls 23, of the chute 22, are cut in such a manner as to cause their front and rear edges to con verge downwardly, thus formingpointed lower ends 24 for said side walls, whilethe ico end walls 25 ofsaidchute terminate at the juncture of the triangular-ends 24: with the sides 23.

To *the lower ends of the end walls 25, aV

pair of rectangular-'frames 26 are hinged as at 27 and normally forced inwardly by meansof light leaf springs 28, said frames 26 being secured to the edge of flexible sheets 29 which are preferably formed of leather,

the tension of the springs 28 acting toenor` mally force the sheets 29 against the inclined.

edges of the pointed ends 24 whereby the lower end of the chute 22 is normally closed.

lIt will be noted by reference to the drawings, that the sheets 29 and the frames caring the same are located directly above t e bin or hopper and that said sheets 29 constitute valves in a manner to-be more clearly set forth.

Mounted upon the rear end portion of the .platform P, is a suction fan 30 which is normally driven by a belt 31 leading from the fly wheel ofan engine 32 likewise mounted upon the rear portion of said platform. From the fan 30 a suction tube 33 leads to tile upper end of the rear side wall of the chute 22, with which said tube communicates, an upright screen 34 being provided to prevent the passage of cotton into said tube 33.

With the parts `as above described, thel gasolenc engine or motor is set in motion to drive the fan 30 which n'ow creates a suction directly through the tubes 8 Iand 9, through the .instrumentality of the tube sections 6 and 7, the elbow 3 and the suction tubes i4 and During this operation, the lower end of the chute 22 is closed bythe leather valve sheets 29, the result being that when the vmachine isv propelled forwardly and the picking head, including the tubes 8 and. 9,

properly positioned in respect td th'erows of cotton, the cotton will be drawnl inwardly from the plants and, on account of the fact that the screen 34 checks the movement of the cotton toward the fan 30, the same will be forced to fall into the chute 22 and to rest upon the sheets 29. Said sheets will assume their normally closed position until the weight of the cotton in the chute 22 is suicient to overcome the amount of suction in the upper end of the chute and the tension of the springs 28, whereupon said sheets and their frames will swing around their License created in the picking'tubes and that this means also provides for the discharge of cotton from the chute at spaced intervals, that new land novel means have been provided whereby the movable pipe section 7 may be supported in any one of a number of positions and that I have likewise improved the construction of the picking head.

I may here explain that the fact that the cotton is discharged from the chute 22 at I have Cdescribed my invention with con-Y siderable detail, but I do not wish to be limited to features of construction or arrangement and proportioning of parts otherwise than as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-v ters-Patent is- 1. A cotton picker comprising a suction tube, a screen therein, an imperforate four isided discharge chute depending from the `.tube in advance of the screen and communicating with the interior ofthe former, two of the opposite side walls of said chute being V-shaped at their lower ends, and a pair of valve members contacting with the inclined edgesof said side walls and hinged at their upper edges to f the lower ends of the other two'walls, said members being normally closed by the suction within the tube and-being designed to be *opened by the weight of cotton accumulating above the same. f v

2. In a device of the character described, an upright suction tube having its lower end reducedl to provide a suction nozzle, and a pair of substantially C-shaped branch pipes secured at their upper ends to opposite sides of said pipevabove the reduction thcre in and opening thereinto, the upper ends ot said pipes facing each other and the lower IIS ends thereof lili; wise facing each other and of the opposite side walls of saidvchute having V-shapcd lower ends dependingbelow the lower ends of the other two walls ia pair of rectangular frames hinged at theirupper sides to said lower ends of the last-named @www wa1s, fexible sheets secured to the inner sides of said rames, and springs for normally forcing said frames inwardly to cause the sheets thereon to Contact with said V- shaped'ends, whereby the lower end ofthe chute may be normally made air tigh;, `for4 the purpose set forth.

Intestimony whereof have .hereunto ser my hand in presence of two subscribing wit,-

nesses.'

LGUS HERMAN CREEKQMORE. l Witnesses:

J. B. HOWARD, C. M. HABA-UGH. 

